The Sky Should Break
by xxsincerityxx
Summary: Final Fantasy III (or VI, depending on where you're from, i suppose). Terra realizes her love for...Someone...But he doesn't return her feelings. Augh...I hate summaries. Just read it, would you?


author's note and stuff - characters don't belong to me, blah blah blah. you know the drill. please r&r, because i know ALL of you are just that nice. :) 

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Terra ran. She ran until she could hardly breathe anymore. She ran until her legs wouldn't carry her any further. When she finally got to her destination, she collapsed on the ground in tears. Her white hair and fur slowly disappeared, revealing the girl she had been before discovering her past. Her green hair was ruffled, and tears fell from her eyes. After all, this is where it had all begun. Her journey that allowed her to come to terms with her past. The journey that had allowed her to meet new people. The journey that had allowed her to fall in love. 

And yet, Locke had never returned her feelings. Of course, Edgar had been in love with her, but she didn't feel the same way about him as she felt about Locke. Unrequited love is the worst thing, and unfortunately, she was still much like a child, and fell into the trap of love easily. Locke and Celes were engaged now, and Terra just couldn't take it. She curled up in a protective ball and touched her tears. It had been a long time since she cried. The battles and prospect of war had hardened her. But now that she had nothing to take her mind off of her feelings, she felt it destroying her every day. 

She heard footsteps approaching her, and tried to hastily wipe her tears away. But it was only Cyan. "Terra? Is that you?" 

"Cyan? What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to keep her face hidden in the darkness. 

"I was sent by Edgar. He wishes to see you. Tonight." 

Terra sighed. _Hopefully he won't propose to me or anything else particularly rash…But that sounds like something Edgar would do._

Terra and Cyan traveled together to Figaro Castle, where Edgar was waiting for her in his throne room. _Oh, please don't let him propose…_

"Ah, thank you, Cyan. Would you leave us be for a moment?" 

Terra could feel her heart drop at these words. _I really think he's going to do it…Damn it!_

Edgar smiled at her, his typical womanizer smile. "Terra…Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" Terra did the only thing she thought to do. She looked to the side, as though embarrassed. "You're not like the other girls I've met. You have a whole aura of confidence about you." Terra continued to look away at his words, not letting his words even penetrate her heart. She could feel Edgar's gaze on her, and he sighed. "And you don't love me, do you?" 

She looked up at these words. She looked at his face. For the first time since she'd met him, he looked truly sad. She sighed. "I'm sorry, Edgar…You just…I'm-" 

"Already in love." Edgar finished for her. She looked at him, startled. He nodded. "Yes, I know. I saw the way you looked at Locke. You love him…But he doesn't love you." Terra winced at these words. "If you need to come back…If you ever change your mind…If you realize that he doesn't love you, and if you need someone to come to…Just come here. I'll be here for you, Terra. Forever." 

Terra smiled weakly and led herself to the spare bedroom. She felt herself drifting off into a deep sleep, only to be awoken by a nightmare. Kefka had come back, and tied her to a stone, helpless, and made her watch him kill Locke torturously. She had screamed and cried, but to no avail. Kefka was murderous and heartless, and made her watch as he killed her one love. Locke had looked into her eyes during his last moments, and apologized. "For what?" Terra had screamed…But it was too late for any hope of a reply. The last thing she heard before awakening was Kefka's loud, evil, triumphant laugh. 

Terra sat by the fire, curled up in a blanket on a comfy chair. "Locke…Where are you when I need you? You promised you'd protect me, yet you can't protect me from the one thing that's killing me. Where are you, Locke…" She drifted off into sleep again, the comforting warmth of the fireplace and the blanket surrounding her. 

"Miss? Miss, wake up…" 

Terra opened her eyes slowly and saw a maid standing above her. The maid smiled as Terra yawned. "What time is it?" 

"Late, miss. You have a visitor." She gestured to the door, where she saw Locke leaning against the wall. Terra's eyes widened. 

"Locke! What a surprise…" Terra felt herself growing fainter by the second. The maid left them alone, and Locke made himself comfortable, sprawled across the bed. 

"Hey, Terra…I know we haven't seen each other in awhile, but Edgar sent Cyan to me. He said that you were here, and that I should talk to you." 

_Oh no…Edgar wouldn't DARE tell Locke, would he?_ Terra's heart raced. "Oh. Um…What about?" 

Locke shrugged in his treasure-hunter way. "I don't know. He said that you would know." 

_Damn it, Edgar…Make it easy on yourself, why don't you._ "Oh…Um…I don't know what Edgar's talking about. I have nothing to talk to you about, really…" she said, a little more bitterly than she would have liked. She pondered her options. _I could tell him how I feel about him and have our friendship disappear slowly…I could…Damn, that's my only option that doesn't require lying. I HATE lying…I'm such a terrible liar._ Terra slowly got up and sat on the bed, next to him. "Actually…I do know. Locke…" she took a deep breath. "I know that you and Celes are scheduled to get married next year, but…That's why I'm telling you this now, so I don't ruin your marriage. I'm in love with you." 

Locke looked at her, blinking in surprise. "What do you mean, you're in love with me? You can't be in love with me…" _She's just a kid…But…That was when I first met her. She's matured so much since then. She really has grown up. Before, she may have been 19, but she had the mind of a child. Now…Oh, damn. I've gotten myself into some shit here._

After Rachel, Locke had become so much more protective of any woman in his life. Celes had been the one to fall in love with him admittedly during the war. He had loved Terra then, but grown past it. Now she had fallen in love with him. 

"Terra…I used to love you." 

"But you don't anymore?" Terra asked, tears welling up in her eyes. She blinked them away, not wanting to show any signs of weakness. Locke shook his head, although still unsure. Terra nodded, trying to understand. "I understand." She lied. 

Locke closed his eyes for a moment, picturing the Terra he knew before, not this Terra sitting in front of him. This new Terra, jaded by the prospect of war, and by the deaths she had encountered. He leaned forward and gave her a short, sweet kiss. He tasted the salty tears that had fallen down her face. He opened his eyes and reached up, touching the stream of tears that were falling down her face as he watched her. He gave her another kiss and got up. 

"Don't feel bad, Terra…It's not your fault. But…I realize that I haven't kept my promise to you. My promise to protect you from anything that would hurt you. I'm hurting you now, and I know that now. I'm sorry. You have to realize that I care about you, I really do. And I swear…If the sky should break, I'll be there to catch the pieces for you." 

And with those last words, he was gone. 


End file.
